“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: .. A time to embrace and a time to refrain, …” Ecclesiastes 3:1,5 (NIV)
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Friends of Carmel Sevika Sangham,
This is it folks, time for a New Season. And to hand the books over to another band of leadership and fresh talent.
- (Without having to say, and for what it’s worth, this is not a Carmel Sevika Sangham email, as you’re used to seeing my name popping up under that banner, as you’ll also notice my signage is not given at the bottom.)
With all the words I have at my disposal, (searched all through Webster’s) I can’t find the appropriate ones to thank you for the tangible support and intangible love you showered upon me for the past three years.
I couldn’t have done a bit of it without that. I’m sure you know that.
To a set of parents who instilled in me a love of the Scripture as Inspired and Eternal, at an early age: This Is For You.
And to my husband, my rock.
What was supposed to be a one-year stint (really!), turned into three.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and Vicar transfer, and the Joe Biden travel ban that caused an undue delay in Sujith Achen’s arrival, all were factors.
As in the saying, ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” In this case, God made other Plans. And God is good.
Having served as the Vice President of this organization for two years (under KC Varughese Achen and then Sam Achen), and subsequently as the Cottage Prayer-coordinator for four (from Sam Achen’s tenure to Manoj Achen’s), I have always been committed to the role Sevika Sangham plays in the lives of our Church’s women, women getting together with just Achen, and studying God’s Word in depth.
So this, in that context, was a natural transition.
However, Unequivocally, I can claim, that the net positive out of this role for me, was getting to know a whole bunch of you in a new and an intimate way. And it was all good.
Acquaintances became fast friends, and better yet, girls younger than our youngest daughter, (and wiser than me 😊) turned dispensers of sage advice.
Tech plays a big part in how any institution operates, and our Church was no exception.
I sought help in certain ideas-implementation from so many of our girls, calling them at all hours, ‘how do I do this, and how can I change that, yeah, but I’d like it to be done this other way’, they graciously always answered the calls.
I guess the stuff I was asking help with was what they would do to relax during break. 😁
God Bless each one of you and your children. I will refrain from naming.
At the Church office-bearers’ installation service, Achen has all the office bearers come up to the front for prayer and blessings.
I took this exercise seriously. I hope I did right by the silent Pledge Of Office I took to do what was right in the eyes of God.
Part of that was making a deliberate attempt to be all-inclusive as much as the circumstances allowed me, my paper address books (me being electronic-averse) fell apart and had to be replaced twice.
On Sunday, February 9, 2020, I stood to the right of Thomas John Achen, precisely where I was standing next to Sujith Achen this past Sunday at the GB meet, and as I was accepting my new-found role, I asked for one thing.
My mother, who was my prayer champion, was no longer around.
It used to be that, whenever I embarked on any project, say, cooking for a large group, Amma (who was staying with me off and on) would, without telling me, go into another room and pray. Now, she knew fully well I knew how to make a ‘meen vevichathu’. But that was never the point.
After she died, I used to sadly wonder, ‘who’s going to pray for me like that?’
On that date, I asked all those present there, all of about a dozen or fifteen of us: I said, ‘in the absence of my mother, it’s you who’ll have to pray for me’. And I’m sure they did. It was felt.
Thank you and prayers back.
I consider it my high privilege to have been able to work closely with Sujith Achen for almost a year and a half. Although I’m sure he won’t miss my incessant questions and calls.
Saji Varghese, the new secretary, is an answer to my prayer. I’m certain she’ll help us write new chapters; with support from every single one of our 103 members. And I’ll be her biggest cheerleader.
Maya, (and Viji, too), hope I didn’t let you down. ❤
Godspeed, everyone.
Offering thanks with a Humble Heart to a Mighty God,
(Just 😁) Mercy
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